In this Life
by I-make-you-LOL
Summary: *Blood Promise and Spirit Bound spoilers* Dimitri has captured Rose and is pressuring her to turn Strigoi. She gives in and experiences the world, awakened, for the first time.
1. Chapter 1

**The first bit of this story belongs to Richelle Mead, It is an extract from Blood Promise, but the rest of it I made up. The characters and all rights belong to Richelle Mead ad everyone who helped her create the wonderful series Vampire Academy.  
*Blood Promise and Spirit Bound spoilers*  
Please R and R! If I get no reviews I will stop posting this story. Thanks!**

* * *

Listening to him talk about killing things increased my nausea. "It's sick and wrong."

It happened so fast that I didn't have any time to react. Dimitri leapt out and grabbed me, pulling me to him and spreading me out on the couch. With his arm still wrapped around me, he positioned himself so that he was half beside me and half on top. I was too stunned to move.

"No, it's not. And that's where you have to trust me. You'd love it. I want to be with you, Rose. _Really_ be with you. We're free of the rules that others put on us. We can be together now, the strongest of the strong, taking everything we want. We can eventually be as strong as Galina. We could have a place like this, all our own."  
His words hit me hard. He wanted to be with me, we were free of the rules. He wanted us to have our own place…  
"Ok," I said.  
"Ok?" he asked, startled.  
"I'll do it… Awaken me."

Dimitri smiled and kissed me on the lips. His lips were cold and dead. But soon it wouldn't matter, would it? He moved his mouth down to my neck and I started sweating. I had fought many Strigoi back home but I had never been as scared as I was now. Dimitri licked my neck and bit hard. I screamed at the shocking pain that ran through my entire body. No part of me was free of it. His venom was like fire flowing through my veins. The pain ran from my neck to my toes and back up, burning up my insides.

And then I stopped and a sudden joy replaced the agony. It was like an ice cream on a hot summer's day, it was like sleep after hours of consciousness, and it was like food after days of starvation. It was relief. The wonderful feeling ran right through my body, swirling around inside of me. My head was tingling. I could see black spots in front of my eyes and that was when it all came back to me. Dimitri was still drinking and I was dying! Soon the wonderful feeling would pass and I would be nothing.

I glanced up to see Dimitri had taken his mouth away. Blood was dripping from his fangs, my blood. He helped me sit up but I could barely see. Black spots were dancing in front of my eyes. He offered me his neck and pushed my mouth to it. Unaware of what was happening, I bit down and began to drink.  
Whatever I was drinking, it wasn't blood. It was cold and disgusting, but for some reason I wanted more of it. I could feel the life coming back to me. A tingling sensation ran through me from my head to my toes. Then it stopped. I felt amazing, like I could crumble a wall with one punch. I felt so strong, mentally and physically. All my nervousness from before had completely disappeared.

With no hesitation I opened my eyes, seeing the world for the first time after being _Awakened_.

* * *

**What did you think? If you liked or disliked it please review! I'd love to hear what you have to say!**


	2. Chapter 2

**So, here it is... The next chapter. I had been lying in bed trying to think of what could happen when an idea hit me! Please read and review and let me know what you think of this idea. *Blood Promise Spoilers*  
Thanks, VampireBookAddict for your review. Reviews are what keep me writing and I will post the next chapter if I get another review. :D****  
I do not own this story, all rights to Richelle Mead, etc.  
Hope you like it! :D**

* * *

"Rose Hathaway?"  
I glanced up at Galina giving her my best smile, making sure my fangs showed, "Yes."  
"If you turn out to be any less fantastic than Belikov has described you then we will have to dismiss you. Is that understood?"  
I glanced at Dimitri.  
"By dismiss, she means kill" he whispered.  
I straightened up and nodded, "I'll give my all, Galina."  
Satisfied, she sat down on her chair and went back to reading her book, "You may take her for her first feed now Belikov."  
Dimitri nodded and grabbed my arm tightly, "Of course," he hissed. He dragged me out of Galina's library and pulled me towards the exit. I pushed his arm off me, spun around and pushed him against the wall, my hands wrapped around his throat.  
"I can walk _myself_," I spat.  
He squirmed and tried to release himself but I stayed firm, being in control sure was a great feeling. So was the fact that I would never be sucked into Lissa's mind again. I released him and he backed away from me, walking at a distance.  
I had no idea where all that had come from and I quickly rushed to his side wrapping my arms around his waist.  
"Dimitri, I'm so sorry! I don't know what came over me!" I cried. He was laughing.  
"Roza, this is not a bad thing. The Strigoi in you is taking over…"

* * *

I backed myself against the wall, Dimitri by my side, as I saw two humans exit a hotel. They were holding hands happily, gazing at each other with such love. With a pang it reminded me of what had occurred in the cabin. I shook it off and got back in Strigoi mode.  
The boy turned to the girl and pulled her towards him. They began to make out right in front of us, moaning and running their hands through each other's hair.  
I stepped out from the shadows and felt Dimitri's gaze on me. The couple, embarrassed, stopped making out and began apologizing to me. I smiled and exposed my fangs. The girl screamed and began to run but Dimitri jumped out and carried her to a dark alleyway, where he would drain her of her blood.  
The boy backed up and stared at me. "Where have you taken her? What's he doing to her?" he yelled, trying to appear ferocious. I laughed and ran towards him, grabbing him by his collar.  
"They are both really enjoying each others company," I giggled.  
"I'll call the police!" he cried. Then he froze. We could hear the moans coming from the alleyway, "No…" he whispered. As if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.  
"And now, you and I will enjoy each others company," I said spinning him around to face me.  
He was actually quite handsome, soft brown hair and brown eyes. Not that I was interested in him. I had Dimitri. His blood smelt so delicious under his skin. But he was a person with thoughts and feelings. . I shook it off, letting my Strigoi self take over. I was a predator and he was my prey, Nothing more. I brought my mouth towards his neck and bit down hard, letting his blood flow through me. It tasted amazing, better than anything I'd ever tasted before, better than chocolate! I drank and drank, never wanting to stop. I wondered how Moroi had the strength to stop drinking, this was incredible! The boy was moaning and I was moaning along with him. As the colour from his face began to fade I realized what I was doing and pulled my mouth away, disgusted.  
The boy was lying at my feet, as good as dead, but not quite. I just couldn't bring myself to take the life away from him.

I began to walk over to Dimitri when something else took over and I felt my soul (Wait! I was a Strigoi. Did I even have a soul?) leave my body. The next thing I knew I was looking through Lissa's eyes.  
"This can't be happening!" I cried, "This was meant to stop." No one could hear my cries.  
"Avery," Lissa said, "Christian hates me! I can't believe I did that at the party! Now Aaron's got mixed signals and Christian…" She didn't want to continue.  
"Liss…" Avery wrapped her arm around Lissa's shoulders. "It wasn't your fault. These things happen," she said in a soothing voice. Suddenly her tone changed from soothing to demanding, "Forget Christian, He's got Jailbait. Stick with me. Meet me at the front gates of the school at 8 tonight. Tell nobody."  
Lissa just stared at her, "Are you trying to compel me?" Lissa asked with a giggle. Avery stared at her, "Touch your toes," she demanded. Lissa (and I included) just stared at her.  
"Seriously, I know compulsion when I see it and what you're doing is a _very_ poor attempt at compulsion," she giggled.  
Avery shrugged and laughed along with Lissa, "Worth a shot, Hey? Come on, let's go find Adrian," she smiled, linking her arm with Lissa's and walking out of our, no, Lissa's, room.

I shot back to reality and found myself on my knees with the crumpled boy in front of me. His heart was still beating but I didn't want to finish the job.  
I had learnt something very important. I wasn't a full Strigoi, because as long as Lissa lived, there would still be a part of my soul that belonged to her.

* * *

**I have changed this chapter slightly from when it was first posted. I hope it's okay. :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry it took so long to update. I've been busy. Please R and R  
Thanks, 7VampireEclipse and xxxdance316xxx for your reviews. Without reviews this story would not keep going. Thankyou all so much. I will post the next chapter once I get another review. :)**

* * *

"Explain your theory," Dimitri told me and I swallowed, trying to find the right words to describe what I now knew.  
"When Lissa brought me back to life, I became shadow-kissed and bonded with her. She took a part of my soul and I took a part of hers. Part of me still exists in Lissa, meaning I can never be a true Strigoi. When I was drinking from that boy… It was amazing. My true Strigoi self took over, but then something told me it was wrong. I felt like a dhampir drinking blood and, I guess, that's sort of what I was…"  
He just stared at me, mouth open, absorbing the information.  
"If Galina finds out, she'll kill me…"  
"You! What about me? I still think like a dhampir for crying out loud. Basically, I'm an immortal dhampir that, every now and again, has a Strigoi rush! And you're worried about what Galina's going to do to you?" I slapped him hard across the face and stormed off, to my room.  
He didn't call out to me, he didn't rush to my side. Nothing. Tears dripped down my face and landed in puddles by my feet. I punched in the passcode and entered my room.  
I was exhausted and fell down onto my bed, wishing for a good night's sleep. Then, I remembered that I would never sleep again which sent more tears down my face.  
"I wish I'd never turned into a stupid Strigoi!" I cried, hugging my legs.  
With nothing better for me to do, I decided to visit Lissa and find out what was going on in her world.

"Avery… I'm not too sure about this," said Lissa as she was standing on her balcony at St Vladimir's.  
Avery was standing below her with her guardian and brother by her side.  
"Christian doesn't love you, Rose left, Nobody loves you! Why would you want to live?" Avery asked.  
Lissa listened to what Avery was saying and her mind went fuzzy. There was a little voice inside her head, and mine, saying, "Jump! Jump! Jump!"  
"She's compelling you," I said aloud.  
"Rose?" Lissa asked, looking around for me.  
"I'm not here, I'm in your head. Don't listen to her, Just get off the balcony and go see Adrian, or Alberta. Heck! Just tell anybody that Avery Lazar is trying to make you commit suicide!"  
"I will," she said and she climbed off the balcony and ran to find Adrian.  
"Where're you going! Come back!" Avery screamed.  
Lissa spun around and ran back to the balcony.  
"Lissa, you have to resist her. Find Adrian!" I begged.  
"I don't know what to do!" she cried, sinking to her knees and bawling.  
"Listen to me and find Adrian. I can't help you anymore. I have to go back!"  
"Rose? Something is different about you. Something feels… I don't know, wrong."  
"Lissa… I'm Strigoi," I said and then I left her mind, leaving her to fight on her own.  
Wow, Talk about making an exit.

* * *

Dimitri walked into my room with a frown on his face.  
"Did you come to say sorry?" I asked, jumping to my feet.  
"Yes, I came to say sorry for being worried about my well-being," he said sarcastically. He rolled his eyes.  
"Then why _did_ you come up here?" I asked.  
"We must kill Galina," he stated.  
"What?" I asked. Galina had been his mentor, why on Earth would he want to kill her? Well, who am I to judge?  
"Um… Why?"  
"She is of no use to us. As long as she lives we will be trapped here with no free will. Once she is dead we will go after Vasilisa so that you can become a true Strigoi."  
I stared at him. He had no ulterior motive for killing Galina. He just wanted to kill her for the sake of it. My dhampir self was outraged, yet my Strigoi self was excited at the thought of killing someone. As usual, my dhampir self won.  
"I refuse to kill Galina and I refuse to kill Lissa!" I cried.  
"See! You are not thinking straight. Until Vasilisa is dead you will never understand the beauty of death! You will die within months!" he yelled. He was so close I could feel his breath on my cheek. I shuddered.  
"I cannot kill her," I stated.  
"Whatever happens she will die, whether you have anything to do with it or not."  
"I choose not."  
He glared at me and turned his back.  
"Then you are of no use to me either. I wanted you to turn so we could have an eternity of bliss together, yet you're obsessing over letting people live," he scoffed.  
"Don't listen to your dhampir side. Get in touch with your true self. Let your instincts take over," he advised.  
I wanted to listen to him, but the dhampir in me kept screaming about how what he was saying was sick and wrong. I tried my hardest to ignore the little voice and said, "Fine. How shall we kill her then?"  
He smiled and kissed me on the cheek, yet his kiss held no emotion.  
"With our Strigoi strength combined we do not need a plan," he told me.  
"So we're going in with no plan what-so-ever?"  
"Exactly."  
"I like it!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry it took so long to update, my computer wasn't working so I couldn't write or post the next chapter.  
Thanks for the reviews 7VampireEclipse and xxxdance316xxx!  
Please R and R. I will post the next chapter when I get another review. Thanks! :D**

* * *

"Are you sure it will work?" I asked anxiously as we stood at the door of the vault.  
"I told you already, I'm not sure! But if there really is dhampir left in you, you should be able to pick up a stake without a problem."  
"And if I can't?..."  
"If you can't, then try not to scream too loud."  
I resisted the urge to slap him…again.  
He typed in the code to the vault and the door swung open. I walked inside, searching for a stake.  
"What about this one?" Dimitri asked, pointing to a stake with a swirly geometric pattern on the handle.  
I leant down to pick it up and flinched.  
"Did it hurt?" he asked.  
"I didn't touch it…" I said. Jeez, I was a chicken.  
I leant down to get it again and wrapped my fingers around the handle.  
"Yes!" I cried, grasping the stake in my hand. It didn't burn. Now we really had the element of surprise.  
I can't explain it but it felt so good to be holding a stake again. To have the power of the elements rushing through me. It made me feel alive, even if I was dead.  
"Now all we have to do is find Galina. That'll be cake, she spends a lot of time in her library."  
I was extremely nervous but I was not going to let Dimitri hold that over me, "Let's go."

* * *

The door creaked as we entered the library. I had my stake in my pocket and my hand behind my back.  
"She's not here," Dimitri said, looking around the room for any sign of where she'd gone. I noticed the door leading to the garden was wide open and I pointed it out to Dimitri.  
"Well done Roza," he whispered. I smiled at his praise. I lent up to kiss him but he pushed me away.  
"Not now Roza," he snarled, "We have more important things going on."  
I nodded, although inside I was quite hurt. That had never stopped him before.  
We strode towards the garden and my mouth fell open when I saw its beauty. There were flowers from every colour of the rainbow, and more! There was even a hedge maze and fountain. And the dark of night made the flowers even more beautiful, the stars made the water from the fountain glisten and shine. I didn't want to commit a murder in this beautiful place. It seemed wrong. But, I guess, there is nothing beautiful about a murder. Or at least that's what I thought, Dimitri thought different.  
Galina was sitting by the wall of the building with Nathan by her side, they were talking about something and obviously didn't want to be heard. Dimitri didn't have to tell me that we would not be attacking right away. I was just as curious as him in what they may be saying.  
We snuck closer, hiding behind the wall, until we could hear them, word for word.  
"But he will kill us," Nathan whispered, "He _loves_ her". He sneered at the word love, as if Strigoi couldn't feel love. Hang on, Could they feel love? I could, but I wasn't, technically as Strigoi.  
"Don't worry about him. He won't be too upset by her death. And if he is… Well, let's just say, that he'll be severely outnumbered," Galina assured Nathan. I just knew they were talking about me.  
"Yeah," Nathan agreed.  
"Are you sure about what you heard?" Galina asked.  
"Yes, Positive," Oh no! Did they know about Dimitri's plan to kill Galina? "Rose is not a real Strigoi! She still has that bond!"  
"Then we will attack St Vladimir's at dusk in a couple of days. You may return to your room Nathan."  
I was confused. Were they talking about killing me? If they were then they wouldn't be attacking St Vladimir's. I looked at Dimitri for answers but he was focused on Galina.  
"Roza, Get your stake ready. We attack in 3, 2, 1…"  
I leapt out at Galina, Dimitri by my side, and attacked her with the stake.  
'Impossible…" she whispered.  
Dimitri punched her but she blocked it and kicked him in the leg. He howled in pain and I angrily thrust my stake at her chest. She leapt to the side and clawed my face. My cheek stung from her blow but I continued trying for her chest.  
Dimitri jumped back up again and continued attacking Galina, trying to give me a clearer shot at her heart. I scraped the stake against her arm and she screamed with pain, lowering her defences.  
I took advantage of that weakness and shoved the stake into her chest.  
She screamed out Nathan's name and fell to the ground. She was finished.  
Dimitri smiled at me and pulled me into the kiss I'd been wanting before. But this time I was the one to push him away.  
"We must stay focused," I reminded him, "Nathan will be coming soon."  
Dimitri nodded and stepped away, observing the door that led to the garden.  
Nathan entered and stared at us and Galina sprawled on the ground. He ran to her side and turned her over, the take sticking out from her chest.  
Nathan screamed and ran at us, punching and kicking and biting wherever he could.  
"Code Black!" he screamed, as loud as possible.  
Dimitri stopped fighting and grabbed my hand.  
"Roza! You remember my most important lesson, don't you?"  
I nodded, "Run!"

* * *

**So what did you think? Please tell me in a review. Thankyou! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry I took so long to update. I've got NO excuse this time. :(  
Thankyou for the reviews xxxdance316xxx and vampirelover23x. If you have the time, read the stories by these two authors as they're AH-mazing!  
Once I get another review I will post the next chapter (And you will get your name mentioned. What a bonus!)  
Thankyou all.  
PS: Sorry, it's short.**

* * *

He grabbed my hand and together we ran towards the hedge maze, weaving our way through.  
Dimitri knew the maze by heart and fairly soon we were out and heading for the city.  
I knew Nathan was on our tail, probably still in the hedge maze, which made me run faster.  
"What are we going to do once we make it to the city?" I asked, my legs were still pumping and I could see a figure emerging from the maze.  
"Purchase tickets to Seattle and get a bite to eat. By then the sun will be coming up and we'll have to find a place to stay until nightfall," Dimitri explained.  
"Why Seattle?" I asked.  
"There'll be plenty of humans out late at clubs, easy blood. Then we can catch a non-stop plane to The airport closest to St Vladimir's."  
We ran across the bridge but Dimitri stopped at the end.  
"What are you doing? Let's run!" I screamed at him.  
"No!" he answered, "Nathan will catch up. We have to destroy the bridge!"  
I ran to his side and hacked at the sides of the bridge with my hands. I knew I should've grabbed the stake out of Galina's chest. Damn…  
Dimitri attacked the boards, smashing them to pieces until it slowly began to fall apart.  
"Yes!" I cried. It was a big bridge and I highly doubted Nathan could jump that far.  
Eventually the bridge gave way, fell into the water and floated down-stream.  
Nathan was on the other side. Screaming with rage.  
"Only one good thing came of this for you Nathan!" Dimitri yelled, a smile on his face.  
"Yeah! What? My boss is dead and my property is running away with some dhampir-strigoi freak! What could possibly be good about this!" he yelled.  
"You're the boss now!" Dimitri smiled and we ran off towards the city, waving.

* * *

The lights flashed everywhere hurting my eyes. There were humans, dhampirs and moroi all enjoying themselves on the dance floor. Well, the moroi and humans were anyway. Most of the dhampirs were dressed in guardian black and white and were stationed around every moroi. All the other dhampirs there were in _very_ showy clothing, trying to attract the moroi men's attention.  
I glanced around, looking for my food when I noticed Adrian Ivashkov standing in the corner with a champagne in his hand and a pack of cigarettes in his pocket.  
I stopped in my tracks, Not Adrian! There were no guardians surrounding him so Dimitri thought he was perfect bait. He obviously didn't recognise him. Or maybe he just didn't care.  
"No! Stop!" I cried at Dimitri but he ignored me, pretending he couldn't hear me over the pounding of the music. But I knew better, he had enhanced hearing.  
I power-walked up to him, grabbed his shoulder and spun him around.  
"Not him, please! Anyone but him!" I pleaded.  
"Roza! All these people are just our prey. They are nothing. He is perfect! Moroi are so delicious and he has no guardians surrounding him. Let your inner Strigoi take over."  
The Strigoi in me understood what he was saying. Heck! The Strigoi in me wanted to drink his blood right now! But the dhampir took over and reminded me that he was my friend, not my prey.  
"That's Adrian, Dimitri! He's my friend. He's probably looking for me because I told Lissa I was a Strigoi and I've been using his credit card."  
"You what?" he demanded.  
"I borrowed his credit cards and have been using them to pay for accommodation and food."  
"That's not what I'm talking about and you know it. You can't avoid visiting her through the bond but you should not have told her about you being Strigoi! We'll have a bunch of people after us!" he snapped.  
I didn't think now was the time to mention that I could control my visits to Lissa. I kept quiet.  
"Let's just have a snack and get out of here!" he hissed as he grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the door.  
"Can't I at least say hi…" the glare he gave me was as good as words. I hung my head and walked out of the club. Leaving Adrian behind.


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay... So here it is, the next chapter.  
Thanks for the reviews. I would post your name but, for some reason, the computer keeps getting rid of it except for the .xX bit. Please check out the name of the person who gave me the latest review on my review page. I'm really sorry about that.  
I'll post the next chapter when I get another review.  
**

* * *

I grabbed the young boy by the shoulder and spun him onto his back.  
"What do you think you're…" he began. He stopped talking once I exposed my fangs.  
I bit his neck and began to drink. The normal joy flooded through me and I closed my eyes in pleasure. I looked down at the boy and saw the colour begin to drain from his face.  
Once again I pulled away and wiped the blood from my mouth. I would never be able to kill someone innocent.  
I took the boy's phone out of his pocket and called the police. Then I placed the phone in his hand and walked away. This was becoming my regular routine.  
Dimitri was waiting for me at the end of the street with a smile on his face. He probably hadn't seen what I'd done.  
"That's two kills so far, Roza. I'm so proud."  
I hid my guilty look from him and just nodded. I was too ashamed to tell him that I hadn't sucked dry yet.  
"You mean three! Don't forget Galina," I giggled.  
He smiled.  
"Okay, we have to find somewhere to stay and discuss our plans before our flight. You can wait in the hotel room while I go out and do… something. It'll only take 2-3 hours, tops," he whispered, kissing me on the cheek.  
We ran down the street and super speed until we made it to an old rundown hotel, with no windows.  
Dimitri went inside and I followed, like a sheep.  
"We'll take your cheapest room," Dimitri said handing over handfuls of cash to the man at the counter. The man's eyes widened at the sight of all that money.  
"Are you sure you don't want to look at our honeymoon suite?" he asked, winking at me. I just stared at him, angrily.  
"No," Dimitri growled, "Give me the keys."  
The man handed the keys and change to Dimitri and we walked up the many flights of stairs to our room.  
It was old and dirty with black smudges on the walls. There were two beds. Both with rips and tears in the mattress. Thank Goodness we wouldn't be sleeping in them.  
"I've got to go, Roza. Top Secret Strigoi Business. But I'll be back in a few hours," Dimitri explained. "Wait! Before you go, I'd like to talk to about what Galina and Nathan were discussing," I didn't say it like a question.  
Dimitri sat down on the bed and looked into my eyes, "Spill," he said.  
"It sounded like they were talking about killing me because Nathan said that you would kill them if they laid a hand on me because you love me. "  
"They weren't talking about killing you," he stated.  
"But they mentioned the bond…"  
"And they mentioned St. Vladimir's! They were talking about killing Vasilisa so that it would break your bond and you would be a true Strigoi. They thought you were too good to waste. I agree. Now I've really got to go. Don't worry I'll be back in a couple of ours. Ok?"  
He kissed me on the cheek and left me alone in the room.

* * *

There were two things I had planned to do tonight while Dimitri was gone.  
1. I was going to visit Lissa and make sure she was alright  
2. I was going to go back to that club and see Adrian.

I decided to start with Lissa.  
I closed my eyes and tried to enter her head. Pretty soon, her mind gave in and I was in her head, seeing things from her eyes.

Lissa was sitting alone in hers and Christian's 'love nest' as I liked to call it, crying. Her thoughts entered my mind. She was upset because of what I had told her, her spirit powers driving her nuts and not having Adrian around to practise with. She was also upset because Christian refused to talk to her and the fact that Avery had tried to kill her and gone loopy in the process. Poor Lissa.  
"Liss?" I asked.  
She looked around, trying to find me.  
"Oh yeah, you're in my head again. Aren't you?" she asked.  
"Yes," I told her, "Did you tell Adrian I was Strigoi?"  
"Yes, Don't be mad! I had to! The problem is he traced where you were using your credit card details and caught a private jet to Russia."  
"Lissa, I'm not mad at you…"  
"But, you're Strigoi."  
"Get comfortable. I've got to explain something," I told her.  
She settled herself in the corner of the room.  
"Dimitri is going to send Strigoi to kill you because as long as you live, I'll never be a real Strigoi," I started.  
"But, have you _killed_ anyone?" she asked, disgusted.  
"No! I try, but then something takes over and I just can't bring myself to do it."  
"That's how a Moroi feels when they're drinking," she explained.  
"What? So I'm a Moroi/Dhampir/Strigoi now?"  
Lissa didn't say anything, she just stared at the wall. I could sense the tears forming in her eyes.  
"Liss, I'm sorry," I whispered, and it was true. I had been stupid accepting Dimitri's offer. I had thought everything would change for the better, but instead this is what I get!  
"I miss you Rose. I worry about what you are doing to yourself, and others. I wish you were here to make me feel better when everything went wrong. I wish you were here to stop all this stupid spirit taking over me."  
"But I am taking spirit from you…" I said this but I wasn't sure if it was true or not. Had I been taking away spirit's affects?  
A noise startled Lissa and a figure emerged from an opening to the "love nest".  
"Christian?" Lissa asked.  
The shadows disappeared and Christian emerged, with a sneer on his face.  
"Who were you talking to?" he asked. He looked around the room, "Is spirit driving you nuts?"  
"No!" Lissa hissed, "For your information, I was talking to Rose!"  
"Yeah, whatever, I bet she's glad to be rid of you. She's out in the open, free of you. I bet that's why she left."  
"You know she left to fight Strigoi."  
I hesitated before telling Lissa to tell Christian about Dimitri.  
_Are you sure?_ She thought, anxiously.  
"Yes."  
She took a deep breath and said, "You may want to sit down. Rose wants me to tell you something."  
Christian walked towards her and sat down, cross-legged, "Whatever."  
"Rose didn't just leave to fight any old Strigoi," Lissa began, "Her and Guardian Belikov, well, they had a thing. I'm not sure how serious it was but she set out to kill him, because he was a Strigoi."  
"Belikov?" Christian scoffed.  
Lissa stared him down.  
"As I was saying, she set out to kill him, but something must've gone wrong because," Lissa took a deep breath, "she visited my head and, somehow, _talked_ to me when I was about to commit suicide because of Avery…" Christian winced at this memory, "She helped me fight off her compulsion and before she left she told me she was… she told me she was Strigoi".  
Christian ran to Lissa's side as she began to cry and wrapped his arms around her. She didn't shake him off.  
"I'm so sorry," Christian sighed, stroking her hair.  
"No you're not," Lissa threw him off, "And don't act like you actually care about me! You even said it yourself!"  
"I didn't mean it…"  
"Say whatever you want. You know it's true. I'm so outta here, " Lissa got up to leave but Christian stopped her. He pulled her down and kissed her softly.  
I could tell she enjoyed it but she was stubborn and did not want to lead Christian on.  
She pushed him away and stormed out of the church, back towards her room.  
"Liss, Are you okay?" I asked.  
_No! I'm not okay. Rose, you know guys. Why did Christian do that? I thought he hated me._  
I sighed, "He hates you as much as you hate him."  
_You should talk to Adrian. Find him and explain everything. He trusts you and he doesn't want you to get staked. I'm going to do some research and I'd appreciate it if you left my head for a while.  
_"I'll come visit you soon," I promised and with that, for the first time, Lissa actually shoved me out of her head.


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay, this is VERY short... but, I didn't think I could add anymore to this chapter without over-doing it. So I'll try and make the next chapter longer. Although, I can't promise becasue I just end the chapter were I see fit, no matter it's length.  
Anyways... Thanks for the reviews, TwilightgalluvsEdward101 and AkuhimePendragon  
BTW, I recently changed my name to I-make-you-LOL from fan-o-fiction. So it's still me. :)**

* * *

Time for phase 2. Adrian.  
I snuck out the front door and took the stairs, rather than the elevator, to the ground floor. Strigoi can run fast and I zoomed down those stairs, with the wind blowing back my hair.  
I stopped abruptly at a dead end and turned to go back up when I saw Nathan looming over me.  
"Crap," I whispered.  
"Indeed," he laughed as he took a swing at me. I dodged it and punched him, hard. He fell to the ground, clutching his stomach. I pushed passed him and kicked him in the back, for good measure.  
I sprinted up and pressed the elevator button. I waited, patiently for the ding and turned around to see Nathan standing at the door behind me.  
The elevator doors swung open and I ran inside. I pressed the 'door close' button over and over until it, eventually, closed. I went down with a grin on my face. Goodbye, Nathan.  
When I made it to the ground floor I shoved a chair in front of the door leading to the stairs and ran out the door, to the club.

* * *

I squinted at the bright lights, once again, and pushed my way through the crowd, keeping an eye out for Adrian. It occurred to me that he had probably left already. Even Adrian wouldn't stay at a club for that long if he was on a search for me.  
In fact, it didn't seem that there were any Moroi here now. Only humans. All the dhampirs had left when the Moroi had left, blood-whore and guardian alike.  
Feeling gutted, I left the club to find myself facing Nathan… again.  
"When are you gonna learn?" I screamed at him, swinging a punch at his face.  
He ducked, "Learn what?" he asked innocently.  
"That you're never going to kill me!" I kicked him in the leg and pushed him against a wall, "With my guardian training and my Strigoi strength…" I kneed him in the leg, "… I'm unbeatable."  
I slapped him across the face and shoved his head into the wall, knocking him unconscious.  
"That should do it," I told myself and walked off in the opposite direction of the hotel.  
I had one goal in mind, Finding Adrian.

* * *

**Then I ran into a robot.  
Okay... You can ignore the robot bit. My friend REALLY wanted me to include it in the story... So I did. :) Please review and I will add the next chapter.**


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm sorry it took me SO long to update. :)  
I've been working on my story 'Letters to Rosemarie' and I've been writing another story that I haven't published on fanfiction yet.  
Thanks for all the reviews and sorry that it will take me a few weeks until I publish the next chapter. :)  
So, Check out my stories and enjoy the next chapter...**It was getting lighter and I had no money and nowhere to stay. Crap, not very good planning on my part.

* * *

My enhanced sense of smell told me that Adrian had left main part of the city. His scents lead towards a dark forest, completely full of trees. It didn't seem like an "Adrian" kind-of place, but it's not like I knew everything about him.  
I walked towards the forest with my nose in the air, trying to sniff out Adrian's direction. I followed the trail, weaving my way through the trees when a horrible feeling passed through me. I was not alone.

"Little Dhampir?"  
I jumped, startled, but the feeling soon succumbed when I heard his voice.  
"Adrian?" I asked.  
"Or is it Little Strigoi now?"  
"Don't piss me off! I could kill you right now if I wanted to."  
"You can't fool me, Little Strigoi. I'm not stupid. You're still connected to Lissa. You're still Rose."  
"But Dimitri isn't shadow-kissed. I could call him and he'd rip your throat out!"  
"Oh, yes. Belikov," he sneered, "I thought he was better than this. But I guess he's a crazy, psycho killer now, hey? I guess I should be grateful you're still alive, if you can call this," he gestured to me, "alive."  
"I'm alive alright. And so is Dimitri so don't you dare insult him!" I cried.  
"You still love him? After he turned you into a monster?" He asked, surprised.  
"What? Did you think Strigoi couldn't feel love?"  
"REAL Strigoi can't Rose. He doesn't love you. He just wants you."  
"Leave me alone! I love him!"  
"Then why did you leave him and come looking for me?"  
Wow, he had me there.  
"Because, even though I love Dimitri… I don't want this. I want to be dhampir again."  
'Ah, Little Strigoi. There's some dhampir in you after all," he smiled.  
I sighed. I wished I had the guts to kill him, to get him out of the way. But, he was my only hope of ever being a dhampir again.  
"Rose? I think I know someone who can help you. They might be a bit shocked when they see I've brought in a Strigoi, but they'll get over it."  
"Who?"  
"Just wait, Little Dhampir. Patience is a virtue."  
"Adrian, " I grabbed him by the shoulders and snarled, "Tell me."  
"Hold it, Rose! You don't really want to kill me."  
"I sure do!" I snarled, "But my stupid Dhampir self won't let me!"  
"That 'stupid Dhampir self' is the real you, Rose. Listen to it. Come on, they'll be expecting me. I told them I'd be heading off to the city for a night or two."  
"And who's they?" I asked, sneakily.  
He laughed, "Good things come to those who wait."  
"No, Good things come to those who threaten people until they get what they want."  
"Ooh, Ouch. Did Dimitri teach you that?"  
"Back off! He has nothing to do with this!" I hissed. I wasn't going to admit to him that it actually _had_ been Dimitri that had taught me that.  
"He has _everything_ to do with this," he smiled. That horrible, adorable smile.  
"Where are we going?" I asked, trying to change the subject.  
"An hour or so away. It's in a little town called Baia. Ever heard of it?"  
The name hit me hard.  
"Baia?" I asked, shakily.  
"Uh-huh. Beautiful town. You'll love it," he winked.  
"Um, Adrian? I'm feeling kind of sick. Can we stay here for a while?"  
"Here? " he asked.  
"For the night. I need to rest," _and a visit to Lissa_ I added, mentally.  
"Okay. So, um, do Strigoi sleep under trees often?"  
I slapped him lightly on the shoulder but he fell down in pain, screaming.  
"Adrian? Adrian!" I cried. I guess I hadn't know my own strength.  
"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to…"  
He jumped up with a huge grin on his face . He had been faking.  
"Honestly, I'm going to…"  
"What? Kill me?" he asked, innocently.  
"Leave me alone. I'm going to get some rest."  
"Yeah? Well I need some sleep so please don't kill, attack or injure me while I'm unconscious."  
"Not funny."  
He lay down by a tree and pulled his jacket over himself for warmth.  
"Good Night, Rose."  
"Good Night, Adrian."

Adrian was asleep and I focused my thoughts on Lissa, which was hard because I couldn't stop thinking about Dimitri.  
I left my body and soon found myself looking out through Lissa's eyes. She was in the library, clutching a book to her chest, heading towards the desk.  
"I'd like to borrow this," Lissa stated, handing a book to the woman behind the desk.  
She scanned it and then handed it back to Lissa.  
"Return it in two weeks."  
"Okay."  
Lissa walked up to her dorm and opened the book to a page she had bookmarked.

_There are rumours of spells and potions that can bring a Strigoi back to life but none have been proven true.  
It is rumoured that if an un-specialized Moroi stakes a Strigoi with a stake enchanted by each of the four elements then the Strigoi will come back to life. This was written in a book called 'Spells for the Unspecialized' written by Robert Doru before he disappeared. This book has been marked un-true by the Moroi government and every copy has been destroyed. _

Lissa shut the book, angrily. Obviously frustrated that the information had not given her what she seeked.  
"Lissa?" I asked, aloud.  
"Rose?" she said, aloud.  
"Talk to me in your head." I commanded.  
_Rose, Did you see what I was reading?  
_"Maybe."  
_That was private!  
_"Liss, you know you can't keep anything from me. We're bonded."  
_Well, I would like some privacy!  
_"Do you want to turn me back?"  
_Don't be angry! I know you want to be a Strigoi with Dimitri, it's just, I miss you so much. You're my best friend…  
_"I miss you too. And I'm with Adrian right now. We're going to find a way to change me back."  
_That's awesome! I won't tell anyone else that you're Strigoi, so then things can go back to normal.  
_"Who have you told?"  
_Just Adrian and Christian.  
_"Good. Speaking of Christian…"  
_I'm not talking to him.  
"_Still? Seriously, Liss. You love him, he loves you. What's the problem?"  
_I don't love him! And I don't need any stupid advice from some Strigoi!  
_"If that's how you see it then fine! GOODBYE!"  
_Wait, Rose…  
_But it was too late, I was back with Adrian, who was fast asleep by my feet.  
I lay down next to him and closed my eyes when, before I knew it, I had fallen asleep.  
I guess being partly Dhampir had it's advantages.


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry I took so long to update. :) I was on holiday and have been working on a bunch of stories too.  
Sorry that all my chapters are short. I'll try and give you a longer chapter next time. Note: I said _try_.  
R&R please!**

* * *

"Little Strigoi?"  
"Ughh, I don't want to go to school today" I murmured, sleepily.  
"Rose? Wake up!"  
"Huh?" I jumped and checked out my surroundings, "Where am I?"  
"You're with me in Russia, near Baia. You don't have to worry about school, all you have to worry about is not getting my friend Oksana's spirit magic thrown at you."  
"Oksana?" I asked, jumping to my feet.  
"Oh, Damn it! That was meant to be a surprise…"  
"Oksana? Did I hear you correctly?"  
"Um… Yeah. Rose, Do you know her?"  
"I need to tell you about what happened after I left the academy," I stated.  
"Fire away."  
"I'm just going to get something to eat first…"  
"But..."  
"Patience is a virtue, Adrian," I smiled.  
"Don't use my lines against me, Little Strigoi," then what I had said dawned on him, "When you say, something to eat do you mean… Blood?"  
"What do you think?"  
"I'm thinking you are going to go kill some un-suspecting, innocent human to satisfy your needs."  
"Well, you're thinking wrong. I'm just going to borrow some blood from a human and then leave them lying in a drain or something. Like a Moroi!" I snapped.  
"Borrowing means you're going to give it back. And Moroi don't steal blood! We take it from willing donators and we definitely don't leave the humans lying in the drain!" he yelled.  
"I'm sorry, Adrian. I didn't mean to snap at you, it's just…"  
"What?"  
"It's just that I am not strong enough to become a normal Strigoi and please Dimitri!"  
"Rose, you are so wrong," His voice was gentle and he pulled me into a friendly, non-romantic, hug, "you are not **weak** enough to become a normal Strigoi. Is Dimitri's admiration more important than the life of humans? You are strong enough not to give in to the Strigoi inside of you."  
"If I hadn't been shadow-kissed none of this would ever have happened!"  
"And you would've been dead!" His words hit me hard. But, he was right.  
"Okay, I'll go eat a squirrel or something. Are you happy now?"  
"No, there are no squirrels in this forest," he smiled, "Try for a bird or something."  
"This is not funny," I scolded, while his grin widened, "I may as well go eat a human."  
I started to walk away, "I'll be right here… waiting," Adrian called.  
"Fine, you can come."  
He skipped towards me, like a little school-boy, with a big smile on his face.  
"Let's go get us some blood," he sang.  
"When you say it like that, it sounds like a bad thing."  
"Oh, Rose…" I raised my eyebrows at him, both of them, as I am not _skilled_ enough to raise only one, "It is a bad thing."  
I punched him lightly on the shoulder; at least I think it was lightly. It was hard to tell when I was hurting someone or not.  
"Fine, it's a bad thing," I admitted, "Now let's go."

The poor girl was backed against a wall, screaming her little lungs out. I grabbed her wrist and hissed at her.  
"Stop screaming or I'll break your wrist!" I threatened.  
"Someone, help me!" she squealed, kicking at me repetitively.  
I tightened my grip on her wrist and she stopped screaming.  
"That's right, now…"  
"Rose! There is no reason to torture the poor girl, just take what you need and we'll get out of here!" Adrian said to me.  
"Please, sir! Please, help me!" she cried, grabbing Adrian by the sleeve and pulling him towards her. She was about 13 years old and, with a pang, I realised she looked a lot like Lissa did when she was 13. That immediately turned me off drinking from her.  
"Please, let me go! I'll give you anything you want. I have money!" she begged. She shoved her hand into her pocket and pulled out her purse.  
"Rose, hurry!"  
I let go of her wrist and gave her back her purse.  
"I'm really sorry," I told her, "Don't tell anyone."  
She pantomimed zipping her lips and then ran for her life around the corner.  
"What was all that about?" Adrian asked, I could hear the concern in his voice.  
"Lissa," I whispered. He was still looking at me so I repeated what I had said, "Lissa!"  
"What's wrong? Is she pulling you into her head?"  
"No, I…" How could I explain this to him, "She, she looked like Lissa. When we were at that age. It was like I was drinking from her, and that was just way too weird."  
"Why did you torture her, though? If she looked like Lissa?"  
It was a fairly sensible question, that I couldn't really answer.  
"Rose?"  
"I don't know!" I yelled. Tears fell from my eyes and stained my face, "I don't know," I repeated, but whispering this time.  
He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and assured me that it would all be fine.  
"I don't… want to be like this!" I sobbed, "I don't want to… hurt people."  
"We'll find a way to get you back, Little Dhampir. No matter, what."  
I smiled. What he had said had sent hope through my body.

_Little Dhampir._


End file.
